The Secretary of State’s Office on Thursday adopted temporary election rules, including limiting access by elected officials to rooms with voting equipment and prohibiting the copying of hard drive images without prior approval by the Department of State.

In a statement, Secretary of State Jena Griswold said the temporary rules are necessary following security protocol breaches and violations of election rules her office alleged to have occurred in Mesa County and Elbert County.

“Every Colorado voter, Republican, Democrat, and unaffiliated alike, deserves accessible and secure elections. As Secretary of State, I will always protect the integrity of our election system,” said Secretary Griswold. “These rules address emerging security risks and will reinforce Colorado’s national leadership in election security.”

Notably, the temporary rules say any individual prohibited from having physical contact with any voting equipment is barred from accessing a room that contains voting equipment — unless accompanied by one or more individuals with authorized access. Griswold’s office said for counties with a population of more than 100,000, elected officials may not enter a room with voting equipment alone. Previously, only physically accessing equipment was restricted.

Editor’s note: This story is developing and will be updated.